


Definitely Just Friends

by selkieskins_and_mermaidfins



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: 4+1 Things, F/M, Falling In Love, Fluff, Identity Reveal, Miraculous Ladybug Love Square, Oblivious Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir, Oblivious Marinette Dupain-Cheng, Reveal, but only for like a second, chloe is terrible im sorry, everyone is oblivious, fake akumas, takes place before loveater
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-07
Updated: 2020-04-15
Packaged: 2021-02-27 09:28:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 10,493
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22154785
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/selkieskins_and_mermaidfins/pseuds/selkieskins_and_mermaidfins
Summary: Her kitty had never let her down before, and he wouldn’t start now. They were a team, partners, two halves of the same power.(Lately, she had felt this even more, that strengthening of their bond into somethingdeeper.)(Marinette tried not to linger on this thought for too long;we must just be close friends, she told herself.)Anyway, her point stood: no matter the akuma, he had her back.-----Or, four times Marinette and Adrien probably could have found out each other's identities if they'd thought about it more, and the one time they actually did.(takes place before the season three finale because I started this a while back)
Relationships: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug
Comments: 28
Kudos: 278





	1. Adrienette

**Author's Note:**

> originally each chapter was meant to be about the love square sides getting closer, but really it just turned into marinette focusing on adrien/chat, but I'm leaving the chapter titles as they are anyway

Marinette Dupain-Cheng considered herself many things. Friendly? Check. Helpful? To a fault. Occasionally a tad bit neurotic? Admittedly, but hey— we all have our faults.

Marinette considered herself many things, but a _stalker_ was not one of them—regardless of what Alya, or Chloe, or Tikki, or _anyone_ had to say on the matter.

This same message is what Marinette told herself as she pretended to scribble out a design in her notebook, sitting on a park bench. _I am not a stalker, I am not a stalker_ , she inwardly chanted, as Adrien posed for his weekly photoshoot at the fountain almost directly in front of her. 

And, even though she was by absolutely _no_ means a stalker, Marinette _had_ managed to perfect her ability to find the exact right viewing angle, making it all too easy to glance up over her sketchbook at Adrien without it being too obvious what she was doing. At the very least, her abilities were definitely superior to those of the other girl sitting a few benches down from her, openly staring without a care as to who noticed. 

Probably trying to catch his attention. Or willing to lie her way out of embarrassment. 

“Marinette!” rang out a small voice from her purse. “I thought you were done following Lila around, so why are you still watching her?”

“Tikki, quiet, you don’t want someone to hear you!” Marinette reflexively chided, though the park was near empty. “And I _am_ over Lila. I know Adrien would never fall for a liar like her.” She flipped to a new page, ‘starting’ a new design. “Besides, I figure if _she_ still gets to fawn all over him, then why can’t I?”

Marinette sighed, letting her eyes drift up to Adrien yet again. The afternoon light was catching in his hair in _just_ the right way, and his smile as he posed was almost carefree—genuine, even— though it didn’t quite reach his eyes. He was good at that, Marinette had noticed from months of not-stalking; he could convince the people around him, seeing his ads, that he really was just that happy. 

Marinette was not convinced.

But still, even with that, the sight of him still managed to draw out a blush from Marinette. “Isn’t he just perfect, Tikki?” she asked, not even noticing when her pen fell out of her open hand. Her kwami only giggled, retreating back into her bag as a shadow fell over them. 

Marinette was lost in a daze, debating between hamsters and cats in her head, and didn’t notice the person standing in front of her until a hand was being waved in front of her face. 

“Hey, Marinette—um, I think you dropped this?” Her head snapped up at that voice, now face-to-face with, _of course_ , Adrien Agreste. 

“Oh, Adrien!” she gasped, and she was proud that she’d managed to get that much out. Stalking—er, _staring_ —at him from afar was one thing, but it was a known fact that the closer Marinette Dupain-Cheng got to the model, the further back her ability to speak reverted.

Considering she was close enough to make out exactly which shade of _emerald_ his eyes were, it was probably safe to say Marinette was effectively screwed.

In books, inner dialogue and thoughts always took up no time at all, Marinette thought. But, because this was real life, she realized, and also because her superhero luck never seemed to bleed over into her everyday life, she found she had been staring at Adrien in silence for far too long already.

He was still holding out her pen.

“Um, thanks!” she nearly screeched as she fumbled for the item. “You’re perfect! _No_ , wait—not you—the pen! The pen is perfect! You know. . . nice and smooth. . . for sketching?” Marinette was practically a tomato and completely out of breath by the end of the sentence, and she could feel her purse gently shaking with Tikki’s laughter. She dropped the pen again.

_Where is a wall to slam your head into when you need one?_

Marinette buried her face in her hands as Adrien let out a soft chuckle, bending down to once again retrieve her pen. _Great, now he probably thinks I’m even crazier than before._

Her purse was still shaking ever so slightly, and she could almost make out Tikki’s quiet giggles coming from her still-open bag.

Wait.

_Wait._

Her pen had fallen right at her feet, right by where her purse was hanging beside her, and if she could hear Tikki, then that meant. . .

Adrien froze as he knelt down, arm still halfway out. Marinette slammed her purse shut with Ladybug-like reflexes, and, _no, wait, don’t use that comparison!_

“Oh, look at that, clumsy me!” She laughed a sharp, way-too-loud sound for the nearly empty park. His shoot must have just ended, because even Lila was gone, and the only other person around was his bodyguard all the way across the grass.

It was far too private a moment for Marinette’s liking.

“Thank you so much for picking up my pen for me!” she half-yelled in that same fake-laughing voice. “Can’t design without that, right?” She shoved her purse even farther behind her, and made a note to apologize to Tikki for the sudden movement later—when they were alone and there wasn’t any danger of outing herself. 

“I’ll just take that now, gotta get back home! Homework to do. . . for Monday. . . always good to get an early start, right?” She held out her hand, and that seemed to remind Adrien where he was. He finally moved, picking up her pen and depositing it in her hand. As it passed between their grasps, his hand lingered a moment, eyebrows furrowing. If Marinette hadn’t been so worked up already, she definitely was now.

His eyes darted to her purse, their hands, the purse again, before finally settling on her face as he let his arm drop and gave her a smile that Marinette couldn’t tell between _sheepish_ or downright _confused_.

“Yeah, I guess you’re right about that,” he said, before it seemed to hit him how long he’d been standing there. “Anyway, I should probably get going before Father notices how long the shoot’s been over.” 

He ran a hand through his too-perfect hair, and his smile was slowly turning more genuine, and if she saw that grin finally make its way to his eyes Marinette knew she wouldn’t be able to walk home for at least another hour. She jammed her pen into her sketchbook and slammed it shut as she managed to fumble out something that hopefully sounded like an “okay.”

Giving a small wave, Adrien finally said, “Well, guess I’ll see you in class on Monday, Marinette!” before giving her bag one last wary look and walking away. 

“Yeah, bye, love you! _Love to see you at school!_ Yeah, as in, can’t wait for Monday!” He looked over his shoulder to give her one last, _real_ smile, and that was it. Marinette was finished. It was all too much.

She practically ran home, and spent the next hour barricaded in her room, alternating between frantically apologizing to Tikki and trying to convince herself Adrien hadn’t heard the kwami in her bag. Or that, at the very least, even if he had heard, he wouldn’t know what it meant.


	2. Ladrien

Marinette liked to pride herself on professionalism while on the job. As Ladybug—one-half of Paris’ top crime-fighting duo—she was strong, outspoken, and brave: a complete 180 from her usual, Marinette-y self. Her actions were precise—no clumsiness—she defeated akumas faster and faster each day, and she made certain to keep up an image as a fair and impartial public figure.

Ladybug had no soft spots or favorites—apart from maybe her pun-loving sidekick, and possibly a certain _Ladyblog_ reporter—and she liked to think this was one of the reasons she managed to keep targets off of the backs of many innocent civilians. 

However, as perfect a hero as Ladybug tried to be, she was still Marinette under that mask, and Marinette was by _no_ means perfect.

So maybe, every now and then, Ladybug liked to allow the Marinette side of her persona to indulge in her job, just a bit. After all, not everyone can say they save the city on a weekly basis and have magical, yo-yoing-through-the-Parisian-skies abilities, right?

So yeah, sue her. Marinette was too shy for her own good sometimes, but as Ladybug, she was anything but—even around locally famous models who just happen to be there when the akuma hits. And so, after a quick transformation behind a tree—which doesn’t sound like good cover, but you’d be surprised what the people of Paris don’t notice when running in terror—Marinette ran back into the small park as Ladybug, only to come face-to-face with a panicked Adrien running—for cover?—behind the same row of trees she’d just come from.

“M’la—Ladybug!” Adrien jumped away from where she’d run into his chest, and it looked to Marinette that he was _desperately_ trying not to make eye contact with her. She didn’t know how to feel about that. “Sorry, I didn’t see you there! I was just, was just—”

“Running for cover?” He was still refusing to look directly at her for more than two seconds at a time, and his face was oddly red for only having run ten feet total—at most. Was he upset she implied he was scared of the attack? 

“Running for—yeah, that’s it, that’s right! Hiding. Behind the trees. Yeah, that’s right.” Adrien gave her a small smile that she thought might defeat her before the akuma had a chance, but then there he was again, not looking anywhere near her. Was it something she’d done? Had she offended him?

Or maybe he just didn’t like Ladybug—there were people like that in Paris, right? _But, oh no, that would mean he’s like Lila, and also if he doesn’t like Ladybug, then does that mean he’d be upset if he found out that were me? Or maybe that’s good, right? That means he could still fall for the real me instead of the hero, and that’s probably good, and_ —

“He- _llo!_ Excuse me! Aren’t you two forgetting someone? Someone _important?”_ Marinette was wrenched from her thoughts as she and Adrien simultaneously turned to the center of the park, where a villain in all black was hovering over the fountain, and—wow, okay. That was a lot of black, _what kind of designer did Hawkmoth think he was?_

Marinette narrowed her eyes at the villain, but couldn’t help noticing Adrien inching further and further away from her. Did he not trust her to protect him? Did she _scare_ him?

Ladybug didn’t even notice the akuma moving until she was right in front of her face, nearly nose-to-nose. Her eyes were all black as well, Marinette saw, and she didn’t know how _anyone_ could possibly be wary of Ladybug when villains like _that_ existed.

_“Or did you forget about me, too?”_

Ladybug didn’t trust those eyes, not around civilians, not around _this_ civilian. She acted on instinct, without even thinking, and this is where she might have indulged, just a _tiny_ bit.

She acted on instinct, and that meant grabbing Adrien and yo-yoing the two of them to safety.

Indulgence turned to instinct turned to duty, and she didn’t have a chance to realize what she was doing— _who_ she was carrying—until she’d safely landed and set him down atop the roof of a building far enough away from the akuma. They must have simultaneously noticed how close they still were, because at the same time Marinette was flinging herself back across the roof, Adrien was doing the same.

Marinette was too embarrassed to even look at him, but Ladybug wasn’t—out of sheer willpower to her responsibility to ensure he was okay—and _wow, he’s nearly the same color as Tikki_. At this point, maybe she should be more concerned that Adrien was catching a fever than anything else, because Marinette was pretty sure the only other person who could manage turning that shade of red and _surviving_ was, well, _her_. 

And she’d never seen Adrien lose his cool quite like this. It was almost. . . _endearing_ , and Marinette was sure she’d fallen just a _bit_ more in love with him. 

Normally, this would be the part where she realizes just how long she’s been staring and _freaks_ out, but—here’s the thing—for this entire time she’s been observing him, Adrien’s been focusing on _her, too_. 

(If Ladybug weren’t so practical and painfully realistic, she might have called the look in his eyes _dreamy_ , or maybe even _affectionate_. Too bad she had other things to worry about at the moment).

Other things to worry about, like the fact that the akuma could be _on her way to attack them at any moment_ , and she hardly considered this rooftop _safe_ for Adrien to ride out the battle. She’d have to make sure he was protected while she waited for Chat to show up.

Marinette took a deep breath and focused herself—this was a time for Ladybug, not Marinette. She’d have plenty of time to stare at Adrien later. “I’ve taken us a good distance away from the akuma, but it still isn’t safe for you up here,” she said, flicking her gaze between him and the skies surrounding them. “The akuma already saw you with me, so there’s a good chance she’ll be after you, too. I’ll wait with you until Chat Noir shows up.”

At the mention of her partner's name, Ladybug could have sworn Adrien’s color changed from pinkish to stark white within one second. _Maybe it’s_ Chat _that he doesn’t like?_ But, no, that didn’t make sense. If anything, her partner was _definitely_ more likable, right?

“But what if he doesn’t show up soon?” Adrien asked, before looking down and saying, quietly this time, “You don’t want his laziness to be the reason Paris is destroyed.”

“Excuse me?” Now _that_ got her attention. 

Chat Noir, _lazy?_ Her pun-loving, hardworking, devoted partner? Sure, he might like to joke around, and she could see how he might come across as laid-back, maybe, but was Adrien seriously implying he wasn’t every bit as important as her?

“Okay, let me set one thing straight: Chat Noir is _not_ lazy,” Ladybug said, for a second forgetting who she was talking to. “He works just as hard as I do—if not _harder_ —and there is no way I’d be able to protect Paris without him at my side. I know there are some people who don’t see him as important as Ladybug, but I never thought _you_ would be one of them.”

In the back of her mind, some small part of her—the Marinette part—knew she was getting worked up over nothing, but this wasn’t _nothing_ , was it? And, sure, there was still an akuma to defeat, but—

“And for you to imply that he’s _lazy_ —”

The start of her rant was interrupted by, of all things, a small laugh coming from none other than the boy across from her, the apparent Chat-hater. Ladybug blinked. 

Marinette would admit, sometimes she let her crush on Adrien get in the way of bigger issues, and occasionally she was known to overlook bad decisions on his part, but—but—the _nerve_ —

“No, I’m sorry, you’re right,” Adrien interrupted once again. He wasn’t laughing this time, but his smile was still all. . . soft? “I didn’t mean he wasn’t important, just that wouldn’t it be better to go ahead and fight? I can find a place to hide.”

Oh. _Oh_. Of _course_ he hadn’t meant it like that, she had jumped to conclusions, _like always_ , and nearly _yelled_ at _Adrien_ , of all people. _Oh_.

She wanted to just curl up in a ball and _die_ , but she was still Ladybug, and there would be plenty of time for dying after saving the day. 

“Oh, yes, that makes sense.” And it did, she supposed, but still. As Ladybug, it was her duty to ensure the safety of _all_ civilians, and maybe she owed it to Adrien to do a bit more after nearly directing a patented Marinette Dupain-Cheng rant at him. “But, are you sure you’ll be okay on your own? That akuma is likely on her way, and my job isn’t _only_ stopping her, you know.”

Though, when she thought about it, Ladybug figured Chat had always been the one more likely to comfort civilians. _Where is that silly kitty?_

Adrien’s smile grew, and she _swore_ he was blushing again. _Not as much as before, but it’s definitely there_. “I’ll be okay, don’t worry. I’m sure Chat Noir will be here soon.”

Ladybug nodded, before picking him up once again and depositing him on the ground in front of an empty-looking building. This was exactly how it’d been when she carried him earlier, but now all she could think about was how _close_ he was, and the fact that the look in his eyes was so warm that at this point it was near impossible to take it as anything other than _loving_. 

Neither Marinette nor Ladybug knew what to think about that. 

“You can hide here, I’ll lead the akuma to a more open space.” _Less people, and hopefully Chat will show up by then_. She was trying not to worry where he was—not now, when she needed to be focused on saving Paris and nothing more. “Don’t come out until it’s all over.” 

“Thank you, Ladybug,” Adrien said as he turned to walk inside the structure. Before he could make it all the way to the door, he looked over his shoulder one last time. “M’la—Ladybug. . . Do you—is Chat Noir really that important to you?”

Now _that_ caught her off guard, but she didn’t even need to think to answer his question. “Of course. He’s my partner,” she said, and she could feel her eyes softening as she thought of her pun-loving idiot. “I’m at my best when I’m with him.”

She’d never seen Adrien smile so brightly. 

He gave her a small wave, and disappeared inside. Ladybug didn’t quite understand how talking about Chat could possibly make someone so happy. (Except for Chat himself, she supposed—he’d nearly blown a fuse last time a civilian had come up asking for his autograph.)

She felt like she’d been given all the puzzle pieces but lost the box with the picture. _I’m missing the center piece_. 

And, okay, _that’s it_. She’d been trying to not focus on all the things that could possibly hold her partner up—after all, there’d been plenty of akumas where she’d very nearly been late, simply from being in the middle of a shower, or baking macarons that _only have two minutes left and they’ll burn if I don’t get them out right away, Tikki_. But for every innocuous hold-up she’d had, there had been plenty where she _had_ been in danger, in public with no way of using her powers to save herself. 

_Those_ were the possibilities she was trying not to think about. 

Ladybug took out her yo-yo, quickly pulling up the communication feature on it. Before she could press Chat’s contact—that _terrible_ picture of himself he’d convinced her to use—she heard a soft _thud_ behind her.

“M’lady!”

Her panic was instantly gone as she turned around, her back to the building Adrien had disappeared inside. She’d never been happier to see his ridiculous leather catsuit. “ _Chat,_ there you are!” She exclaimed, trying to disguise her relief as irritation with him being late. “There’s no time to waste—we’ve got an akuma to fight!”

She always figured Chat just ignored her usual attempts to push him away, but this time Ladybug could swear his lovesick smile only deepened, before turning to an outright smirk. Ladybug figured she must’ve still been affected by her strange encounter with Adrien; it was the only way she could explain the feeling the glint in Chat’s eye was giving her.

“Okay, Buginette—let’s go!”

\-----

 _“Miraculous Ladybug!”_ she exclaimed, throwing her lucky charm into the air (a spotted wheel of cheese that had made Chat Noir turn green, though for some reason reminded her of Adrien). “Pound it!”

They’d only hugged once after an akuma attack, when she’d had to quite literally jump into a dinosaur’s mouth. So when she felt something launch into her, followed by strong arms pulling her closer—a feeling she definitely did _not_ enjoy, Tikki, _thank you very much_ —she was maybe the most confused she’d been all day (which was saying something). _I didn’t even do anything_ too _life-threatening this time_.

“Chat? _Chaton?”_ Ladybug asked, pulling her head back only slightly. “Are you okay? Is something wrong?” The akuma was purified, but she couldn’t help but think back to _before_ the battle. Was the thing that held him up still bothering him? Did he need her help? _Could_ she even help? “Is everything alright?”

Chat squeezed her once before finally letting go—no doubt there’d been plenty of time for Alya to snap a picture from halfway across Paris. He took a step back, and Ladybug had to remind herself she was not at _all_ disappointed when his arms were no longer around her. 

“Sorry, Buginette,” he said, and there it was again, that nickname that sounded so familiar coming from that voice, for no reason at all. She didn’t even know when—or _why_ —Chat had started calling her that. She suspected he didn’t know, either.

“Chat, are you—” She was interrupted by a beeping sound coming from her earrings, and by this point they both knew it meant they didn’t have long. “Chat—”

“I know, I know,” her partner said, mistaking her concern for urgency, though he was still giving her that strange smile—as if he knew something that she didn’t. “See you soon, Bugaboo!” Chat sing-songed, using his staff to propel him over the building they were next to and out of sight. 

_“Chat Noir!”_ But he was already long gone, no doubt already transformed back. _That silly kitty, what could have possibly gotten into him?_

Ladybug’s earrings beeped again, and she ran into the alley of the building her partner had disappeared behind. _I don’t even have time to check on Adrien now_. He was somehow the least of her concerns. “Tikki, spots off!”

“Good job today, Marinette!” her kwami chirped as she appeared in front of Marinette.

“Thanks, Tikki,” she said, leaning back against the wall. As she held out the pink macaron she’d brought, she still couldn’t figure it out. 

“What’s wrong, Marinette?” Tikki asked around a mouthful of macaron. “Is something bothering you?”

“It’s not me I’m worried about. . .” Marinette sighed. “It’s just—you saw how Chat Noir was acting. Wasn’t it strange? Do you think he’s okay?”

Tikki swallowed the last of her treat, before floating up to rest in Marinette’s hands. “Don’t worry, I’m sure he’s fine! Maybe the battle just got him emotional?”

“Do you really think that’s it?”

“Sure! Did you see his face when he left? He looked pretty happy,” Tikki said, her eyes softening. “Don’t worry, Marinette, he’ll be okay.”

Marinette brought Tikki up to her cheek, nuzzling her in the closest way she could to a hug. “Thanks, Tikki, you always know what to say.” She was still a bit concerned—and definitely confused—but it felt like a small rock had been lifted from her chest.

As Tikki darted back into her purse to hide, Marinette heard the soft chime of her giggling, just barely making out, _“Okay? He’s definitely more than okay now.”_

Marinette smiled, adding that to the list of things she didn’t understand quite yet. 

_There’ll be plenty of time to figure things out later._


	3. Ladynoir

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> okay, so this one is mostly just marinette not really ladynoir, but I have a theme going and I can and will die on that rock (also this sets up the later chapters I swear)
> 
> also apparently I have a thing for starting them in parks

Marinette hated love akumas probably more than she hated even Chloe, definitely above all other forms of villains Hawkmoth had thrown at her. Love akumas _caused_ by Chloe ranked even higher.

Love akumas _caused_ by Chloe, at Marinette’s _personal_ expense—this was a first, and Marinette already knew she hated it the _most_. 

_“Marinette Dupain-Cheng!”_

It wasn’t even her _fault_ this time! Just a case of being in the wrong place, at the wrong time, with the wrong people (person, ie, _Chloe_ ). 

_“Come out, come out, Marinette!”_

She’d been out with some of her class for a picnic, and things had been going well, at first (aside from the small group of Adrien’s fangirls not-so-sneakily hiding nearby). She’d even managed to position herself next to Adrien, and was finally _talking!_

_“Come out, Marinette, and give back what’s mine!”_

Marinette had barely managed to stutter out a few sentences before Chloe came up behind them, as condescending and eager to steal attention as always. “Really, Adrien, hanging out with Dupain-Cheng? We both know you could do _so_ much better.” There was the usual implied _better, as in me_ at the end, but if it was actually working on Adrien, he’d yet to show it.

And, sure, not even Marinette—and _especially_ not Chloe—could have predicted that those few words would set one of the fangirls off, but the next thing they knew two of the girls were jumping out of their hiding space, as the third one was enveloped in an akuma’s tell-tale black cloud.

_“Marinette Dupain-Cheng!”_

_Sorry, little miss Queen of Hearts, but you won’t be finding Marinette anytime soon_ , Ladybug thought as the akumatized villain currently throwing a tantrum in the middle of Paris pulled her from her internal _I-hate-Chloe_ session. The very target herself was currently perched on a slanted roof, just out of sight as she waited for her partner. Normally, when an akuma targeted a specific citizen she would have no doubt already sprung into action; however, considering this villain seemed fairly single-minded, and she knew for a _fact_ Marinette was safe, Ladybug was rather content with just observing for the time being.

Or, at least, she _was_ , until the girl started yelling _“Off with their heads!”_ and, okay, so maybe no one’s head fell off, but Ladybug still didn’t care for the implications—even if all that happened was the sudden appearance of a small army around the akuma. _Typical_. No, what _really_ got her was what the villain shouted next. 

_“Marinette Dupain-Cheng, come out if you ever want to see your precious Adrien again!”_

Nine times out of ten, akumas were only bluffing threats like these.

Marinette did not care.

Ladybug was already reaching for her communicator to alert Chat that she was going to go ahead and look for a possible hostage-Adrien when she heard the soft _thump_ of her partner landing on the rooftop next to her. 

“Chat—”

“M’lady—”

_“We’ve gotta protect Adrien!”_

_“Marinette’s in trouble!”_

Of _course_ ; Chat had no way of knowing Marinette was safe, so _of course_ that was his first concern. _Of course_ she couldn’t just call dibs on protecting Adrien.

(Ladybug almost found it odd for a moment that Chat seemed so unconcerned with Adrien in comparison, but she reasoned that _did_ make more sense; Marinette was, _of course_ , the one being hunted down.)

Ladybug met Chat Noir’s eyes, and an unspoken understanding flashed in them. 

“You take care of Marinette,” Chat said, and she nearly let out a sigh of relief that he so readily agreed with her thoughts. “You guys are close, after all,” he added, almost as an afterthought as he scratched the back of his neck.

“Nice thinking, Chaton. You go make sure the akuma doesn’t get to Adrien.” _And don’t go looking for Marinette._

Sure, she was still worried about Adrien, but she was even more concerned about preserving their secret identities. 

And she trusted Chat to do just as well, as always. Her kitty had never let her down before, and he wouldn’t start now. They were a team, partners, two halves of the same power. 

(Lately, she had felt this even more, that strengthening of their bond into something _deeper_.) 

(Marinette tried not to linger on this thought for too long; _we must just be close friends_ , she told herself.)

Anyway, her point stood: no matter the akuma, he had her back.

\-----

It wasn’t until Chat had already taken off did she notice the lack of their usual banter. 

Not—not that she missed it, obviously. Sure, Ladybug enjoyed their quick back and forth teasing, the strong sense of partnership and comfort they shared, and—and, yes, that must be what she felt had been missing. The teasing.

 _Definitely not the flirting_.

Wait. _Flirting? Who said anything about that?_ Yeah, maybe that was a thing he did, a lot of the time, and sure, he quite obviously hadn’t done it so far today, but. _I don’t_ miss _that_.

 _He was serious because he thought you were in danger_ , she thought for a split second, but she didn’t quite know what to make of that, either, and it was quickly pushed aside.

And Marinette was so caught up in her own daily internal crisis she didn’t even give a second thought to the way Chat had taken off in the exact opposite direction of Adrien’s house. Maybe they were just close enough for him to already know where he was. Possibly they were friends. 

Or perhaps Ladybug currently did not have the mental capacity to take on two problems at once, because keeping _why wasn’t he flirting why wasn’t he flirting_ from repeating in her head was taking more effort than any akuma she’d ever faced.

But as she raced across rooftops to keep up with Hawkmoth’s latest pawn, she couldn’t help but go over in her mind the past few weeks. Chat hadn’t been acting. . . off, that is, just different, almost as if her frequent requests for more space were finally getting through to him and he’d decided to back off, if just a little. And, though the attention he now gave her retained its former nature, lately it almost seemed as if he’d become more— _serious, is that the word? Mature?_

No.

 _Genuine_.

Marinette felt her cheeks heating up under her mask.

 _No_. Forget Marinette’s all-encompassing crush on Adrien—which was certainly still all-encompassing. She was _Ladybug_ , protector of Paris, a superhero facade behind a polka-dot mask. She had _responsibilities_. People counted on her. One wrong move could cause far more than a little classroom drama.

Sure, she would always be Marinette deep down, but first and foremost came Ladybug. Paris needed her. Chat did not.

Chat was her friendly partner, and that was all. Nothing more.

Ladybug would not _allow_ anything more. 

She was getting worked up about his behavior simply because she cared about him, as a _friend_ , and it was because she _cared_ about him that she would hold things exactly the way they were. Their existence was like a never-ending akuma battle: distance meant safety.

So, as Chat’s partner, as his _best friend_ , Marinette decided she did _not_ miss the excess flirting, or the teasing, or Chat Noir’s lingering stares.

She also decided it was time to let Chat know she’d found what she was looking for.

\-----

And if Chat found it weird when she refused to let him see Marinette over the communicator to make sure she was okay, so be it. 

After all, he hadn’t shown her Adrien, either.


	4. Marichat

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> marinette thinks some things. crisis mode ensues. good times to be had by all

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I write so slow but procrastinating on writing an essay really seems to speed up the process

“Girl, I’m _telling_ you, there’s _no way_ those two aren’t a couple.” 

This wasn’t the first time Marinette had received this exact lecture from Alya, and it certainly would not be the last.

“Seriously, just wait till you see my new _Ladyblog_ post,” the girl continued as Marinette prepared to deny every claim (subtly, of course). “I’ve been collecting pictures for a few weeks now, and after yesterday’s akuma, I _finally_ have real, _undeniable_ proof.”

Marinette simply rolled her eyes from her spot next to Alya on her bed, letting her eyes drift to an Adrien poster across the room. It was his perfume ad, the same one she had spent weeks mooning over a few months ago, because he’d just looked so carefree and happy and _normal_. 

She’d been thinking about taking it down, lately.

Her thoughts were interrupted by Alya’s fingers snapping right in front of her eyes. “Mari, are you listening?” she asked, before looking over to where Marinette’s eyes had just been. Her cheeks started heating up from the force of Alya’s smirk alone, as the girl said, “Oh, I get it. I bet you’d pay more attention if I were showing you pictures of your _dear Adrien_.”

Marinette whipped her head around so fast she nearly fell off the bed. “No, no! It’s not—I’m not—what was that about Ladybug?” She smiled, silently begging Alya to _move past it_. 

She didn’t know how to tell Ayla she was maybe starting to give up on Adrien. She didn’t even know how to tell _herself_.

“Okay, okay, I get it. We can talk about getting you two together later,” Alya laughed, bringing her phone back up again. “But girl, if you don’t look at these pictures I got, I’ll start posting ones of _you_.”

( _Oh, the irony_.)

Marinette held back a sigh of relief as Ayla went back to scrolling through her camera roll.

It wasn’t like she was _hiding_ anything from her best friend. It was hardly a secret that she’d liked Adrien almost as long as she’d known him—gum incidents aside. At this point it was practically a joke amongst their friends, teasing Marinette about it anytime they were seen together.

And it wasn’t as if she didn’t still _like_ him. Because she did. A lot. She just— _I just don’t know how real this has ever been_. There was also a certain cat-shaped problem she didn’t quite yet know how to address.

Marinette could feel a thousand green eyes boring holes into her. 

She really did need to take down some of those pictures.

Slowly, Marinette dragged her eyes back to Alya’s phone screen before her friend could bring the issue back up, and she nearly gasped.

Because that was _her_. 

And, like—of _course_ it was her, and it’s not like she hadn’t seen plenty of press pictures or even _Alya’s_ pictures of Ladybug before. It was just—

“That look in her eyes.”

She recognized the moment. It was from the battle yesterday, when they’d been on that rooftop deciding who’d rescue who. Chat had just suggested she go find Marinette, and she’d been so relieved, and touched that he’d seemed so worried about her without even knowing it, and she hadn’t even known what to say for a moment. 

The picture was taken over Chat’s back, and she was almost sorry she couldn’t see his expression. But Ladybug’s alone was enough, just that look of—of being in awe, of something else, something _more_ that Marinette was afraid to admit.

“ _Ha!_ See, didn’t I tell you?” Alya shouted, before remembering Marinette’s parents were only just downstairs and lowering her voice, if only a little. “‘That look’ is _love_ , no doubt about it!” 

“ _Love?_ ” Marinette squeaked. 

_Love? Her_ , in love with _Chat Noir?_ No. _No, no, no. Absolutely not_.

Adrien was practically glaring at her now.

“That’s right, girl! You saw it here first—Ladybug is undeniably in love with her partner!” Alya announced, oblivious as ever to Marinette’s world crashing around her.

Marinette reached out to scroll to the next image, and the next, before Alya once again took over. 

The surprised look on her face after her partner hugged her for no reason.

Ladybug only barely holding back a smirk at a pun Chat had made about the Queen of Hearts.

Their heads bent close as she whispered her plan for her Lucky Charm.

She looked the exact same in all of them; her eyes had the same expression every time. _Fond. Affectionate_.

_More_.

Alya really was good at her job.

It wasn’t until the last picture that she realized she’d been holding her breath.

“Okay, girl, if this one doesn’t convince you, I don’t know _what_ will.”

Alya handed her the phone. Or Marinette took it. It didn’t really matter, anyway.

It didn’t matter, because there they were, yesterday after the battle, and she might as well have been back in that moment. She didn’t know if it was because of the love akuma, or how worried he’d been about Marinette, or the general chaos of her mind at the moment, but all she knew was as soon as she’d released that little butterfly and seen a familiar black-gloved fist held out to her, she didn’t even bother pushing it away before launching herself at her partner.

_Payback_ , she’d told herself, even as she felt his arms wrap around her and immediately knew it was a lie.

But it wasn’t her own face that had her feeling like she was drowning.

“I’ve never seen Chat Noir look like that.”

Because, bless Alya, she’d taken this picture facing _him_.

Marinette’s voice was so soft, she wasn’t even sure she’d spoken that part out loud until Alya responded, _still_ not noticing her change in demeanor.

“Marinette, girl, what are you _talking about?_ Chat looks at Ladybug like that _all the time!_ ” Alya made to swipe back her phone, but Marinette slid out of reach along the bed. All without taking her eyes off of the screen.

“Wait, what do you mean, all the time? He never. . .”

Alya grabbed her phone back as Marinette recalled the battle where she’d had to carry off Adrien, the day when Chat had given her that strange look before they’d had to rush off to fight. 

She didn’t have to think of any other times, because, blogger/reporter/Ladybug-fanatic she was, Alya already had plenty of examples at-the-ready to show to her.

Blog posts, blurry fan images, official press photos—Marinette had seen all these before (because she was a good friend, and good friends take interest in their friends’ passions, even when they _are_ the passion). Except, all those other times, she’d only been focusing on _Ladybug’s_ image, how she appeared, public approval. Keeping up her appearance.

But now. . .

Now Marinette looked at her partner, and found that in every last picture, he was always looking at her like that. Like it wasn’t pretend. Like it wasn’t a game.

_Like it was genuine_. 

Every interaction they’d ever had reshaped itself in her mind.

“Uh, Marinette? You okay over there?”

She was not, in fact, okay. 

“I have a lot of posters to take down.”

Alya pulled a face, the one that usually meant _I know you’re hiding something and I wish you wouldn’t_. “Posters? What are you talking about?”

“Oh—nothing! Nothing at all! I was just thinking about this-this project I’ve been working on! Yeah, a project, that’s it!” Marinette’s face said _I wish I didn’t have to hide_. “It’s. . . something I’ve been working on lately.”

Her friend still looked skeptical, but more in an _I-knew-you-were-overworking-yourself_ kind of way. “Girl, is that why you’ve been so out of it lately? You’ve gotta stop pushing yourself so hard.” She closed her phone, finally, flopping back on the bed. “What kind of project is it, anyway?”

“It’s a puzzle, of sorts.” Not a complete lie. She chanced a glance at an Adrien photo, and this time, it felt encouraging. She’d always love those eyes.

Alya laughed, and it broke up some of the tension in Marinette’s stomach, and that was probably why she'd done it. “A _puzzle?_ Leave it to Mari to get wrapped up in her own head.” She nudged Marinette’s leg with her foot, and she knew her friend was only joking, was maybe still a bit concerned. “Are you at least close to solving it?”

The poster on the wall was just that—a poster. She was close, she could feel it. _But I’m still missing something_.

“Yeah, I think so.”

\-----

After Alya had left, Marinette had sat on her bed for a while, alternating between looking at the _Ladyblog_ posts featuring Chat Noir and the Adrien posters stubbornly remaining on her wall. She was currently having a sort of internal crisis, and she had just gotten up to take down that perfume ad, _at the very least_ , when she heard a soft tapping at the balcony door.

Only one person ever visited through that door. Her heart felt like it was trying to escape her chest.

Marinette sighed, steeling herself, before walking under the trap door, poster still in hand.

The first thing she saw was his eyes, _those eyes_. Possibly she just had a thing for green eyes.

She let him in.

“Good evening, Princess,” he practically purred— _of course_ —as he landed softly on the floor, taking her hand in an over-dramatic bow. He brought the back of her hand up to his lips in a fake-kiss, and, wow, _do I really have a thing for this idiot?_ “What have you been up to?”

She mentally compared his cheesy grin to the faked sincere one in her hand, and it almost felt like two sides of the same coin.

Except. That didn’t make any sense, because Adrien and Chat were different people—two separate coins?—and it wasn’t fair to lump them together, and—

And Chat was still waiting for an answer.

“I’ve—I’ve just been cleaning, that’s all,” she said, gesturing to the poster starting to crumple in her grasp. “Thinking about things.” 

Chat chuckled, before his eyes caught on what she was holding, and she didn’t even hide it from him. What was the point?

“About. . . things?” Chat mumbled, as Marinette moved to sit on her bed, carefully unfolding the ad in her lap. “You’re taking down the pictures? Of—of the model?”

She just nodded, patting the spot on the bed next to her. He followed.

“Did. . . did something happen?” _Are you okay?_ , the unasked question.

Marinette didn’t really know. _Had_ something happened? Just last week, she’d barely been able to _think_ about Adrien without going five shades of red, but now she just looked at his picture and felt like she was _missing_ something. 

She didn’t think she was over him—a few weeks wasn’t enough to erase months upon months of obsession (because, yes, that’s what this was, she knew that now). But, it hadn’t only been going on for a few weeks, had it? 

When she really thought about it, she knew deep down it was far more than that.

She laughed, a dry, humorless chuckle. “I think I’m losing my mind, if I’m being perfectly honest.” It was nice not to have to pretend to be something she wasn’t. That’s how it always was with her kitty, even when she wasn’t dressed up as Ladybug. 

Chat shifted on the bed to look at her, appraising, before leaning back and looking out across her room. “Do you want to talk about it?” he asked, gently, not prodding, only seeing what she might need. He really did remind her of Adrien.

(Or maybe she’d had it backwards all along, and Adrien reminded her of _him_.)

“Thanks, kitty, but this is my battle to fight,” Marinette said, resting her head on his shoulder, and it felt _right_. “You’re already helping enough.”

It was quiet for a few minutes, before she spoke up again. 

“Lately, I’ve been thinking a lot,” she said, quietly, words meant just for him. Or just for her. “I’m realizing that not all things are the way I thought they were. Or maybe I was just seeing them wrong on purpose.” 

The only light in the room came from the trapdoor above them, casting a wide swath of moonlight across the floor. Her head was a mess, but Chat was warm, and the room felt _safe_ in a way she didn’t have words for. Real. Unreal. Both at once.

“A lot of self-reflection, I guess. So I’m taking down the posters. No real reason, I guess, just a step for now.”

Chat reached his arm up and looped it around her shoulder, and she relaxed into the moment.

For a long time, they just sat there like that, until Marinette felt her eyelids drooping and knew she wouldn’t be able to hold out any longer. The ache in her chest was almost completely gone.

“Alright, Princess, I think it’s safe to say it’s bedtime now.” Chat shifted, removing his arm to allow her to lay back on her bed. “I came to check on you after the attack yesterday—” he mimed a look at a non-existent watch on his wrist, “—two days ago, but I’m glad you’re fine from that, at least.” Marinette didn’t know if it was just her sleep-sodden brain, but his smile was so _soft_ , and his eyes so _warm_ , and it was doing things to her. “I hope you find the answer you’re looking for.”

He turned to climb up the ladder, but before he could, she called out softly, “ _Chat_.” It was so quiet, just a whisper, that she was almost surprised he turned his head. _It’s his kwami, increased hearing_ , she could almost hear Tikki saying.

“Yes, Princess?”

“Do you—” Marinette couldn’t ask. She had to. 

“Do you really love Ladybug?”

Chat Noir smiled, confused but, now that she was _really_ paying attention, quite obviously smitten. In the moonlight, it really was something else entirely.

“With everything I am.”

If she were fully awake, Marinette was sure she’d have had a heart attack. This late, she only smiled, hazy and content.

“Don’t give up on her, Chat. She loves you, too, I think.” The fear she’d been feeling about him pulling away recently was almost completely gone by now, but she still felt the need to say it. 

_I’m almost ready. Just give me a little more time, kitty. I promise_.

There was something familiar in the set of his eyes as he looked at her, at Marinette, before he simply replied, “Don’t worry. I’d wait for her forever.” 

And just like that, he was gone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> it is very late, and i am arguably more tired than marinette


	5. Adrienette +1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> you know you'd think that with an international quarantine I'd have actually, you know.. finished this much sooner....

The first thing Marinette did when she woke up the next morning was turn to Tikki and say, “I think I’m in love with Chat.” Followed by, “Did I actually wake up _before_ my alarm?”

The second thing Marinette did was hang up the _Ladyblog_ picture from yesterday in place of the perfume ad she’d taken down, staring at it until she was—once again on schedule—on the verge of being late to class.

The third thing she did was completely freak out.

“Tikki! What if there’s another akuma today? What if I see Chat? Oh no, if there’s an akuma, then I _have_ to see him!” Marinette groaned, resisting the urge to throw herself onto her bed and curl up into a ball of denial. “Now that I know about my. . . _feelings_ , what if I get all flustered around him, too? What if it’s just like with Adrien? _Oh my god Tikki what do I do if I see Adrien?_ ” 

Marinette shoved her last notebook haphazardly into her school bag. She _knew_ she was being ridiculous—she could _feel_ it—but once she started it was hard to stop.

“Marinette, calm down!” her kwami exclaimed, moving from her perch on Marinette’s shoulder to instead float in front of her. “Everything’s going to be fine! If anything, maybe you’ll be _less_ nervous around Adrien now. And remember, Chat Noir isn’t just your partner, he’s your _friend_ , too. The bond you two share can only get stronger.” There was a knowing glint in her eye. “And remember, Marinette: one step at a time. You can do this.”

Tikki flew up to kiss her on the cheek, and Marinette held her against her face, taking a second to just calm down and think about how grateful she was to have her kwami with her through all of this. “Thanks, Tikki. You’re right. _I can do this_.”

“That’s the spirit, Marinette!”

Marinette zipped up her bag and threw on her purse, holding it open for Tikki to fly into to hide for the day. She took one last look at all the Adriens on her walls, before her eyes finally landed on Chat Noir and his too-soft smile.

Deep breath in, deep breath out. 

She could do this.

\-----

Marinette couldn’t do this.

She was standing on the front steps of the school, trying to ignore the group of girls next to her and the fact that she could see Alya’s _Ladyblog_ post on at least _two_ of their phones. It was one thing to face her muddled feelings on her own, but with the rest of the school unknowingly in on it all? _Nope. Nuh-uh. Not happening_.

Okay. _Deep breath, Marinette_. Just because you saw two girls reading that silly article, out of the _whole school_ , doesn’t mean anything, right? Seriously, what are the odds?

Right?

“Marinette, girl, there you are!” Marinette snapped out of her one-second freakout session, looking up to see Alya waving her up from just inside the doors. “Hurry up, you don’t want to be late. . . again.”

She shook her head, banishing all thoughts of her partner and Adrien ads and students fawning over _that look Ladybug gave Chat Noir isn’t that so sweet?_ Or, at least, she tried to, and it was almost working until she caught up with Alya only to see a picture from the akuma attack two days ago pulled up on her phone. 

_It’s going to be a long day_. 

“Look at this, Marinette!” Alya exclaimed as soon as they started on their way to the classroom. “It’s only been 24 hours and already my post is trending! Everyone’s talking about it, and I mean _everyone!_ ” She held up the screen close-way-too-close to Marinette’s face so that she could see a news clip from that morning, because apparently Paris didn’t have anything important to focus on other than the potential love lives of two magical-spandex-wearing superheroes. 

“Oh. . . that’s so cool, Alya!” Marinette said, trying to sound genuinely excited and not at all like she was on the verge of some kind of breakdown. “Look at that, on the news and everything! I wonder what Ladybug thinks of all this. . .”

She knew _exactly_ what Ladybug thought of all this. 

“I know, right? I can’t believe it took off like this. Well, no, I can, because I’m amazing, and they’re _obviously_ in love.” Marinette agreed with Alya on both points there. “But so far the _whole school_ has been talking about it! Can you _believe it?_ ”

Marinette could honestly answer, “No, Alya, I can’t believe it.” Or, well, maybe she could, because things like this usually had a tendency to work against her—her good luck really only applied to superhero-related activities. “But are you sure the _whole school_ has seen it? Is there a chance that anyone in our class. . . _won’t_ be talking about it?”

As in, _is there any chance I won’t have to listen to Adrien talk about it?_ Hearing the boy she used-to-still-kinda-has a crush on talk about the boy she’s maybe-probably-in-love-with was way too complicated for Marinette to deal with right now. 

Maybe she actually _would_ rather there be an akuma attack today. Preferably, _right now_.

But, of course, real-life, ordinary Marinette was anything but lucky, and there were no tell-tale akuma screams as she and Alya made their way to the classroom.

What there were, however, were twelve pairs of eyes that immediately focused on them when they walked in. Well, specifically, on Alya— _not_ her—which was maybe the luckiest thing to happen to Marinette all week, until she realized _why_ everyone was looking at her friend. 

_Oh no_.

 _Oh yes_ , said the class, as everyone jumped right back into the middle of a debate that must have been happening before the two walked in.

“Alya, those pictures! You’ve been holding out on us!” Nino.

“I _knew_ they had to be dating! It’s so obvious, right?” Alix.

“I can’t believe Ladybug was looking at him like that.” Adrien.

Wait. _Adrien?_ Even _Adrien_ was in on this?

Marinette couldn’t stop herself from staring at him as she took her seat. And it wasn’t that she was staring at him in her normal obsessed-stalker way—because she _wasn’t_ , for once—it was just. _His face_. That dreamy look he had. . .

_Since when has Adrien been such a big Ladynoir shipper?_

Marinette could feel her cheeks heating up as she listened to her classmates go back and forth over whether Chat Noir and Ladybug— _her_ —were dating, how long has it been going on, _are they in love?_

 _No. A few weeks. Maybe?_

But, of course, instead of offering any oddly-insightful answers, Marinette just smiled blankly at her classmates and sank further into her seat. Class would be starting soon—all she had to do was make it a few more minutes, and hopefully that would be the end of all this. 

Or, well, the _public_ end of it. Marinette still had. . . a few loose ends to tie up on her own.

So, yes, Marinette was content to just hunch over at her desk and ignore all her friends gushing about how cute she would be with her cat-superhero-partner-slash-crush. The less involved in this debate she was, the better (for the safety of her identity, and also her sanity). 

Or, at least, she _was_ content to sit back and say nothing, until she heard one voice cut through the white noise of the debate. 

“I’m just saying that Ladybug could do _so_ much better than Chat Noir, and _everybody_ knows it.”

Marinette’s head snapped up, suddenly forgetting about that whole staying-silent thing. Possibly her fight-or-flight instinct was finally kicking in. Marinette chose _fight_. 

“I’m sorry, Chloe, what did you just say?”

“You heard me, Dupain-Cheng.” Chloe threw her arm over the back of her chair, narrowing her eyes. “Chat Noir is lazy, and all he ever does is slow Ladybug down. She would be _so_ better off without him.” Marinette felt her face heat up with something other than embarrassment as Chloe smirked, turning away. “And don’t forget, those puns? _Not_ funny. Ridiculous. _Utterly ridiculous_.”

Out of the corner of her eye, Marinette saw Adrien’s shoulders tense up as he cringed at what Chloe had said. He was probably thinking about what happened the last time _he_ called Chat Noir lazy.

“ _Excuse me?_ ”

Adrien’s head snapped up at her, and if she weren’t currently filled with what she described as only the most _righteous_ of anger, she’d probably be a bit more concerned that she currently had the entire room’s attention. 

“How _dare_ you,” Marinette seethed, standing up to lean across her desk. “Chat Noir is _not_ lazy. He’s a _hero_ , who works harder than you or even Ladybug _ever_ will to protect this city. If anything, Ladybug is the one slowing him down, and as for his _puns_ —”

Marinette was interrupted from her rant—for the _second time this month_ —by a small cough from the seat in front of her. 

“I’m a fan of Chat and all, but. . . I don’t think Ladybug could ever slow him down. She’s definitely the better hero.”

She heard Alya quietly breathe in beside her, and Nino was looking at Adrien like he’d just sentenced himself to a very, very painful death. Chloe was glaring at him, but, to be fair, Chloe was always glaring at someone.

Adrien met her stare, something glinting in his eyes. A similar look from when she’d first gotten onto him about Chat—as Ladybug, of course—but with something. . . sharper, to it. More knowing. _A challenge_. 

Marinette was so close to piecing things together. 

“Ladybug, the better hero? _Please_ ,” Marinette scoffed, taking the bait. She made a point not to look at Alya, whose face was no doubt full of absolute betrayal right now. “Chat Noir is a _hundred times_ better.”

“Ladybug is always the one to save the day.”

“Chat Noir is always the one to stick around!”

“Because half the time he never even uses his power! Without Ladybug, we’d still have all those akumas flying around!”

“She can’t even get _that_ right sometimes! Chat fights just as hard for half the credit!”

“Ladybug is the best hero to protect Paris!”

_“Ladybug is only at her best when she’s with Chat!”_

Suddenly Adrien stopped, letting out the large breath he’d taken in to keep defending her-not-really-her. His eyes—those stupidly green eyes—were blown wide, as if _he’d_ been the one piecing together the puzzle all along. 

Well, whatever, she was glad at least _he_ had figured something out, because Marinette was still mad, and also incredibly confused, and also didn’t know how to feel about Adrien both complimenting her _(Ladybug?)_ while simultaneously refusing to acknowledge Chat.

Marinette was also trying not to focus on the fact that the _entire room_ was currently leaning forward in their seats, confused—but not as confused as Marinette.

Adrien took in a deep breath, and then another, looking away, down at his hands. He was twisting his ring, a nervous tick that _somehow_ , in all her obsession, she had never noticed before. When he looked back up at her, there was something painfully familiar written on his face.

“Do you really think Ladybug is in love with Chat?”

“Obviously. He’s her partner, her better half.” Her face was heating up, and Marinette tried her best to will the blush away as she continued. “You saw the way she was looking at him.”

Adrien’s face flooded with something, relief, maybe, or excitement. Which was a weird reaction to hearing that one superhero was in love with her partner, but not any weirder than Marinette getting all flustered talking about Ladybug’s love life as if it were her own. 

(Which, of course, it was, but that’s besides the point.)

The look of relief turned into a smirk that sent her stomach rolling into knots— _muscle memory_. “That’s probably good, then. Because he’d _wait for her forever_.”

His words sounded familiar, so _familiar_ , and his eyes were so soft and mischievous at the same time, and—

His eyes. Those _stupid green eyes_ , the exact same ones that had glowed through the darkness of her room last night as she listened to those exact words, the same eyes that she’d been fantasizing about for longer than she probably even realized. 

_You’ve got to be kidding me_.

That final puzzle piece clicked into place as she felt the tips of her ears burn, Adrien’s—no, _Chat’s_ —smile growing more devilish by the second. She could feel Alya’s eyes practically boring holes into her head, but if Marinette spared her a look now, she’d never gather up the courage to bring her focus back to the boy in front of her that she was apparently _double_ in love with.

No, this had to be dealt with now. After all, this was only Chat, right? And she could handle that.

Her turn to take a deep breath, close her eyes, and level her _own_ smirk at him. “Is that so? Well, he might want to hurry up, because it sounds like there’s a model after his Lady’s heart.”

Marinette laughed at the light pink that dusted across his face, loving how she could see it without a mask in the way, while the class _ooooh_ ’ed in the background. Nino chuckled, making some comment about how Adrien _was_ a bit obsessed with Ladybug, wasn’t he?

Alya and the other girls (minus Chloe) were giving her varying looks of _that is Adrien you are talking to what are you doing?_ Chloe was shooting her a look only slightly more resentful than normal.

Adrien smiled, rubbing the back of his neck in a gesture so _Chat_ that Marinette didn’t know how she’d never noticed before. 

(She supposed someone could just as easily point out how into Ladybug’s feline partner Marinette so obviously was, but she didn’t mind so much. After all, it was true.)

But, because she was probably the most unlucky person to have ever existed, that’s not what happened. Instead, whatever Adrien was going to say to her next was interrupted by screaming coming from outside the window in a way that could only mean Marinette’s wish for an akuma had finally come true. _Of course_. 

If there was ever a day Marinette wanted to strangle Hawkmoth, it was today. Adrien must have seen it written all over her face, because he just laughed and took her hand, taking advantage of everyone running to the window (and the fact that class somehow hadn’t even started yet) to tug her out of the room. 

“Come on, Buginette,” he said as they raced to the locker rooms, and she felt so stupid for not realizing why that sounded so familiar, because she sat behind him every day and the stupid nickname was _literally just half her name_. “I told you I’d wait forever, another hour is _nothing_.”

She just laughed, relieved to find that this wasn’t actually all that awkward at _all_ , and that talking to him now was easier than it ever had been. She laughed when she met his kwami, _Plagg_ , who turned out to be the reason Adrien always smelled like cheese, and she laughed as she watched him transform from her classmate to her partner, wondering how she ever saw him as two separate people.

And she laughed when Chat Noir leaned down and kissed her, and kissed her again, and stopped only when another scream reminded them why they were even here in the first place.

She was laughing because they were _so stupid_ , and she told him that as they ran outside to find the akuma. But it didn’t matter, because they’d _finally_ found each other, and Marinette knew she still had responsibilities as Ladybug, but she also knew now that she was allowed to want this. _It’s okay. I can do this_. 

Paris wasn’t going to fall now that she’d fallen in love, Hawkmoth wasn’t going to win. If anything, they were _stronger_ now than ever before.

When she told Chat that last part, after she’d already captured the akuma, he got that look in his eyes that she was sure was going to kill her one day. She was pretty sure she was giving him that look, too.

She just hoped Alya had her camera out.

\----- 

When Marinette walked into class the next day, exactly two things happened:

One, the class was going _mad_ over the new picture Alya had added to her blog post. ( _Did you see that? They actually kissed! Yesterday after the battle, Marinette, did you see—_ )

Two, Adrien came walking in beside her, hand in hand, kissing her cheek as he went to sit down.

And the classroom exploded.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this took forever and it's so very cheesy but marinette and adrien are also cheesy, so I think it's mostly okay
> 
> also thank you for sticking around to the end!!


End file.
